Think of your favourite wine region. Now think of its best vintages . This auction brings both together to make your dreams a reality (did you imagine a 1900 vintage Bordeaux?). We have 1945 Petrus, 1989 Yquem, 1990 Côte Rôtie La Mouline from Domaine Guigal, 2005 Latricières-Chambertin from Domaine Leroy, to name but a few. They are all going under the hammer on August 26th and 27th. These extraordinary wines could be yours!
So, what are the best vintages since 1900? The answer to the million-dollar question depends on so many things not least the region and the appellation. Luckily for you, we’ve already done your homework, and you can check out this article on our blog to learn more, or simply go directly to the auction to see the wines in one place.
An outstanding millésime, can be defined as “a vintage year whose overall conditions made it possible to bring perfect grapes to the winemaker”. Despite what you may hear in a sales pitch, not all years can make outstanding vintages. In this auction, we take a closer look at the different vintages and what makes them extraordinary, with a particular focus on aging capacity.
Outstanding Bordeaux Vintages
As if to celebrate the end of the war, 1945 was a stellar year and is the earliest Bordeaux vintage of note in this auction. Difficult to find, it is considered one of the best vintages of all time in Bordeaux. So don’t let this exquisite 1945 Pétrus go! 1947 was an equally illustrious vintage, and there is a very attractive Magnum of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande going under the hammer. 1970 is a rare vintage, it manages to offer two things that rarely come together: quality and quantity. You can find it from Château Latour or Château Margaux in this auction. Château Haut Bailly and Château Léoville Las Cases are both represented by 1982, another iconic millésime. Following the legendary 1989 vintage, 1990 managed to hold its own and is a very high-quality vintage. We have a batch of two bottles from Château Beychevelle or a bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild. The 2005 and 2010 vintages have some nice surprises in store, especially for their exceptional aging potential. Don’t delay in checking out this selection of over 100 lots up for auction, you’ll find Pétrus, La Conseillante, and Cheval Blanc.
Sauternes, a special case of Bordeaux
Sauternes is so unique that it merits a description all to itself. It’s important to note that although Sauternes is in the Bordeaux region, a standout year for the previously mentioned red-bodied châteaux is not always a great year for this delectable liquid gold. Let’s start with the years 1989 and 1990, which are both absolutely outstanding vintages. For those lucky enough to share their birth year with these wines and are looking to treat themselves, Château d’Yquem is an icon of Sauternes and the 1989 vintage it’s star player. There’s also a star among 1990 vintage from Château la Tour Blanche. 1996 and 1997 are also special vintages, especially the 1997 Château Suduiraut (no reserve price!) Moving to the 21st century, 2001 was also a superb year – we have Château de Rayne Vigneau or Château Rieussec to tempt you. Wrapping up in 2005, a great year for sweet white wines too we have a delightful Château de Fargues Magnum ready to be snapped up.
Iconic Burgundy Vintages
The brilliance of the very delicate Pinot Noir grape variety comes from its ability to transcribe the subtle differences of its terroir into the wine, but it manages to bring all of its climatic baggage with it too. That is to say, Burgundy appellations can vary hugely from one year to the next. Not to mention that the supposed perfect vintages (very hot and very sunny) do not necessarily result in the pinot performing well.
Following 1945 and 1947, the next notable vintage was in 1959 and the sunniest year on record for the Dijon region. Both rich and abundant, a bottle of Domaine Piat Volnay 1er Cru will certainly convey the wonder of this vintage to your palate. 1971 will remain for a long time one of the greats of the 20th century, two bottles of Corton Grand Cru Château Corton Grancey from Louis Latour sure to be favourites in this auction. Moving on to 1985 and 1989, both remarkable years for Burgundy, we have a 1985 Bonnes-Mares from Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier and a bottle of Romanée from Domaine Comte Liger-Belair. In 2005 we have a few three-bottle lots of Beaune 1er cru Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus or a selection of 2010 bottles from Clos des Lambrays. 2010 is also available in Bonnes Mares from Domaine Georges Roumier and Musigny from Joseph Drouhin. In white wine, 1990 stands out with a Les Narvaux Meursault from Domaine Chavy Chouet and 2002 with a stunning Bienvenues Bâtard Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive.
Mouthwatering Rhône Valley Vintages
Even though there can be huge variations between the vineyards north and south of the Rhone Valley, they usually share the same “best” years, from the Côte Rôtie to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The well-known vintage years are also exceptional years for the Rhône Valley, so you will hear 1989, 1990, 2005 and 2010 again and again. Noteworthy bottles include: a 1989 Château Grillet, a 1990 Côte Rôtie La Mouline from Domain Guigal, a 2005 Hermitage Cuvée Ermitage de l’Orée from Domaine Chapoutier, a 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château Rayas and finally a range of 2010 Vacqueyras from the same producer, at Château des Tours.
So are many more treasures to be found in this auction, so don’t miss out! Wishing you sweet discoveries and success when your iDealwine goes under the hammer.
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